


Sol

by OmegaWolfy



Series: Warrior Cat One-shots [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Death, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 20:52:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7479546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmegaWolfy/pseuds/OmegaWolfy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loyal to ShadowClan.<br/>Not to you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sol

_Note, Prince is an oc who makes an appearance in this chapter. If there are interactions with kittypets later in the series he may be mentioned again- he's my baby <3  
-See end of chapter for more notes.-_

* * *

 

Wind rustled through the branches of the tall pine trees which stood proud throughout your Clan’s territory.

Contently, you breathed in the familiar aroma. Twas the night after your second gathering, and the third full moon since becoming a warrior. Recalling how most clans seemed to side step around Shadowclan cats, you pondered why. Pine scent was so soothing, and relaxing. Much better than smelling like fish, or being half drowned. No matter what you could never get used to the scent of the RiverClan cats.

You may have understood why others say ShadowClan reeks if everyone still lived in the old forest, the marshy scent you pass on part of the RiverClan border really was foul. (Plus eating frogs all the time, the thought made you gag a bit.)

However, in your pondering, you almost missed the border with ThunderClan. This section obviously hadn’t been scented recently, and the stronger smell of your Clanmates was what alerted you to the closeness of the territory edge. Looking around a bit, you turned towards the back side of the land your clan laid claim on. As you padded along, the smells of other cats wafted over the border, and soon you found your paw steps growing faster. Not to see if there was trouble, but because the fact one was familiar.

Traveling across the border, you checked behind yourself multiple times before slinking into thicker brush which sprouted less sparsely than most of the territory behind you. Once you felt safe you hadn’t been followed, you crept along for a few tree lengths.

Eyes wide and taking in as much of your surroundings as possible, a snapping twig alerted you to who you were looking for. His scent was all over in the area, so it was hard to identify the location from that fact alone.

“Sol,” You purred, turning to the calico tom. His pelt rose up from a small thicket as he stretched out each leg in turn.

“Please to see you again, [Name].” He said and you greeted the Tom with a few more purrs as you approached.

“Will you again tell me about your clanmates? I enjoy hearing about them. You speak with such compassion about them.” He tilts his head slightly as you smile and sit, thinking for a moment, before sighing. It had been close to half a moon since you saw him, so a lot had changed.

“Well... a few of our elders passed away recently. A kit had gotten whitecough, but it spread and quickly became Greencough. We don’t have the herbs we need to cure it…” You sigh out gently, pausing for a while as your eyes feel to the forest floor.

“It’s just that with so few of us actually able hunt, I’m afraid we may lose many more before the outbreak is finally done for.

Sol nods, though you don’t see it. He hums a moment as though thinking, bringing your attention up to him.

“Why not just ask someone who has the herbs. Surely there is someone else who will help out at least somewhat.” As this you give out a weak, chuckle.

“Warriors are stubborn. And Shadowclan is twice as so. Try telling Blackstar so, and you’ll be lucky if he doesn’t rake your pelt out.” You sigh again and lay down a moment, though your ears perk as you hear something.

“I have to go, Thank you for listening to me Sol. I think Tawnypelt is looking for me.” With a wave of your tail, you bound away, though trip into a bush giving away your location as soon as your paws crossed the border.

“[Name]! What were you doing across the border?! You look like you’re running from a pack of badgers…” She says slowly before smelling you and narrowing her eyes.

“No it’s just I saw an opossum. I thought it would play dead like usual but as soon as I got close it ran off. I followed it, knowing it would feed a good number of the clan, but ran into a rouge. I didn’t want to fight, we’re short on herbs as it is.” You mutter and Tawnypelt’s suspicion melts.

“Come on now, I found a few lizards, you can say you caught some of them.” And so she leads you back to where she stashed the prey, before going back to camp.

 

The next day you were chosen for dawn patrol, and right afterwards had to go out for a border patrol on the RiverClan border. Sleepiness dragged in your paws and the whole patrol was moving slowly. No one was really alert as they resented the border, though a laugh came from the other side.

“They look pretty tired if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, he was right. They’re all over worked, most of them are probably down sick.” Right away your eyes opened up.

“Even sending a loner over to ask for herbs. How pathetic.”

“Hey- ShadowClan cats! Can’t you drag your own paws over here and ask for herbs yourself?” Your fur heated up,  _‘No, he wouldn’t…. He wouldn’t go asking them for help-he… he just wouldn’t!’_ your thoughts were running faster than a WindClan cat could sprint with a dog on it’s tail. Sol wouldn’t do that when you told him no one in your clan wouldn’t...or… No!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You were so in shock that you didn’t even notice Tawnypelt next to you yelling back to those across the border.

“ShadowClan is strong and well.”

“Then why were so few of you at the gathering?”

Yes, that explained it. Not many cats were at the gathering, so this made perfect sense. They could have figured it out on their own, some of your clanmates probably smelled like the sickness even if they weren’t infected.

“That has nothing to do with our strength.” Tawnypelt replied, her fur beginning to bristle. The skirmish soon broke up, and your patrol moved on. No need to waste breath on those fat, lazy RiverClan cats.

“Go and tell Blackstar the other clans are starting to notice we’re weaker than usual.” You say to Tawnypelt. I’ll lead a hunting patrol on the way back, and make sure RiverClan scum isn’t crossing the border.” You say and everyone seems to agree. Dividing up the patrol, yourself closest to the border and everyone spread out about equal distances back to camp, everyone heads off.

Hurring for the back of the territory you find a few water voles on the way, and stash them to come back to later. You traveled close to the border markings so your scent would be hard, if not impossible to detect as you crossed out of the territory. The small rocky ThunderPath also covered in the smell of Monsters helping conceal your scent.

Very quickly you came to a small Twoleg place. All your senses were on high alert, which made it easy to locate a Kittypet.

“Hey, you!”

“Me ‘ames, ‘ot, you- it’s Prince.” The scrawny Tom jumps and gazes at you in an interested fashion.

“ ‘ey… are’nt you's one a’ dem fightin’ cats? ‘rum ‘round da lake?”

“Yeah, I am, Prince. Thanks for your time. But I was wondering if you had seen a Tom around here, walks in a very confident way and has multiple colors to his fur. Like-”

“ ‘eah, a calico ‘ight?” Prince nods as he makes himself comfortable on the fence. “I saw ‘im-”

“Where was he going?” You weren’t even sure if it was Sol, but you wanted to know if he had been heading towards the RiverClan border.

“...That information ‘ill cost ya.” He grins kind of lazy like, and you roll your eyes.

“What do you want?” You groan, needing your answer.

“You’s never gave me a name lassie.” You groan inwardly. You did not want this cat to know who you were.

“My friends call me Stretch.” You say and he nods as though he felt it was a fitting name.

“Alrighty then, Stretch, Sol went’a towards that there marshy reed filled area.” He swings his tail back and forth, and now you knew for sure this was what you needed. Prince even called him by name.

“When did he go by?” You wanted to see if he would still be in the area, though Prince chuckled a bit, a sound kind of like a ‘yeehee!’ before getting all too serious all too suddenly.

“That’ll cost you’s s’more.” He said and looked somewhere behind you.

“You’s not anythin’ like those fishy cats. They a’ always a swimmin’ around an’ whatnot,” Obviously he was speaking of RiverClan.

“But you’s different. Yeah, you’s is a civilized cat. Say, do you’s think you could catch me some kind a’ mouse, or somethin’ like it. Anythin’ that is no’ slippery or da likes a’ fish.” He nods quickly. “Yeah, do dat an’ I can even take you’s to Sol.”

Yours ears flicked forward, and a smile spread over your muzzle. Wow, this Prince was pretty good at this whole information thing.

“Sure thing, how’s a water vole sound?” You had a few stashed away, this would be quite easy.

“Is it furry…?” Prince looks at you with a tilted head. The angle showing off how matted some of his fur was.

“Oh yeah, they’re furry.” You nod a bit and  Prince quickly agrees.

Jumping to your paws, you go back and collect three of the four moles you caught. Going back, you find Prince still laying on the fence, he was stretched out with one paw hanging over the side you were on.

“Back-” You mewed past the voles, and he jumps. A wild look in his eyes before noting it was you.

“Why- Stretch. that did no’ take too long at all. You’s good at this huntin’ thin’. You’s see I did no’ find a thin’ an’ when I did those fishy cats stopped me short-ripped up me ear you’s see.”

You nod slowly and jump up onto the fence, in which Prince jumps down the other side, you on his paws.

Dropping the fresh kill, you explain how he’ll get one vole now, and the rest after he takes you to Sol. Again the Tom nods rapidly, and he very quickly snatches the fattest vole, devouring it in a few swift bites.

Then, the two of you were off. Prince jabbered a lot, his words were odd, and he often referred to his people taking him all over the place. How he was picked up as a stray when he was just a wee thing, until now. They never took him to the vet, (whatever that was) and he was going on his ninth summer now.

“Summer?” You mutter past your mouth of fresh kill and Prince nods very serious like. “Yeah, it’s this time a’ season.”

“Oh, you mean greenleaf.”

“No, I means summer.” You dropped the topic and went on. It wasn’t long until you found a large group of cats. Many of them plump and fat, likely kittypets, some of them were older and scrawny much like Prince. Though, you would have never guessed his age, he seemed to healthy to be an elder.

“Sol, me gots a fightin’ cat here to see you’s. She’s name is Stretch.” as soon as the words were out the Tom turned a bit and tickled your nose with his tail tip. Sneezing, you released the voles, which he scooped up and dashed away with.

“[Na-]” Sol stood up, it looked as though he were telling tales to some kits.

“Yeah, it’s me, Stretch.” You say with the slightest hint of warning in your tone.

“I want to know why you told RiverClan how weak we are in ShadowClan.” Betryal rose in your chest as you looked at the tom. He blinked a few times, obviously not seeing the problem, as he sat back down. A few of the kits looking up at you with wide eyes. One coming close and sniffing your tail, before backing away holding his nose.

“Ewww, she smells funny.”

“Soot,” A She-cat from somewhere behind you called out, and the kit looked down.

“Sorry…” He mumbled before scurrying away. Many of the kittypets and loners were rounding up their kits now, not wanting them too close to a cat of the clans.

“I intended to help.” Sol shrugs a bit, not once trying to make the situation sound any better than it was.

“I trusted you Sol,” You begin, and the words just about tore your heart in two. “I trusted you with secrets of my clan, and the well being of my clan mates. If we are attacked by RiverClan, they may see it as a perfect opportunity to take some of our territory. They may try to take the stretch of land towards the lake and cut off much of our water supply.” Mind spinning, every possibility was coming in and out in a hurry.

“My friends and family are dying of sickness, and now the few of us who are strong enough to do anything could be killed in a battle, because we’re too... weak.” The tears were coming now, and a large part of you wanted Sol to comfort you. Tell you it really would be fine, however, you knew it wouldn’t happen, and you quickly turned away. Walking with your head held high back the way you had come. Prince had mainly walked fences and jumped into small sections of grass which he called, yards, but you were just going to walk the fences, and get back as soon as you could.

“ ‘ey! Stretch! You’s leavin’ already?!” The hurt in your chest was not going to allow you to respond, so you didn't.  Prince had been a help alright, but you needed to get out of there. Jumping down, out of the twoleg place, you groomed out your fur some. It had taken way to long to get this task done, so you made your way back into ShadowClan territory.  
You're rout went much farther from the RiverClan border, and you caught a small mouse on the way. Once back inside the border, you dropped it to the ground and ate it quickly. Then groomed yourself again. The scent of mouse covered you from your ear tips to tail, and it would probably even make many of the other warriors complain tonight.  
In your rush to cover your scent, you had forgotten to collect your water vole, and promptly went back to grab it. Searching the log you left it by, the fresh kill had seemed to disappear, when a voice behind you caught your attention. Ears flicking up, claws sliding out, and eyes narrowing a low growl rose up in your chest.  
"What do you want?" You spat a bit, glaring towards Sol who now sat himself up on top of the log. At his paws a water vole. "You're on ShadowClan territory, and you know very well I can chase you off."  
"But you want, that's the thing [Name]. I wanted to tell you I'm not sorry for going to RiverClan, I thought it might do some good, but apparently not." You spat a bit, offended by his words, and at yourself for the fact you knew he was right. There was no way Sol would be driven out of the territory by you.  
"Yeah, well give me a reason not to turn tail and ignore you."  
"You wouldn't do that either, [Name]." the fact your ears flattened to your head gave away the fact all too easily.  
"I just thought, that maybe you could do something to join another Clan. At this rate you're going to get sick, and watch idly as your resources run out. The whole Clan could be wiped out, why join them?"  
"Stop it!" the shout rose up from your chest, eyes closed as tear collected and pooled in your fur. "Just stop telling me that. I have faith in StarClan. They will help us through this. They won't claim all of us, and we'll survive. If I must go because of it, so be it, but I'm not going to go crawling to another clan with my tail between my legs light a defeated dog!" At this point you had stood, each word falling from your muzzle a little softer than the last.   
"Sol...?" the whisper was low, bearly loud enough to not be fully swept away by the wind.  
"Hmmm?"  
"What do you think of my choice. To stay with my Clan?" Opinions were a strong matter, he seemed to be full of them.  
"It's your own choice. One which could lead you to die. I was just suggesting a way to survive."  
"So that's that..." sighing out the words you gaze up to SilverPelt, which was just starting to be scene in the dimming sky.  
"And it's also my choice to say this," You know he's looking at you now, you may have his attention, probably for the last time. "It's not something I even wanted to admit to myself, but I think I loved you." Sol makes a noise like he's about to reply, but you turn to him with narrowed eyes.  
"And loved means it's in the past." Forgetting about the water vole, you calmly walk away. You don't hear any sounds as though he was going to attempt to follow you, which only hurt all the more.  
  
"What do you mean you didn't catch anything- you reek of mouse!" Tawnypelt was nearly screaming as she lectured you. Her words slicing in a way which could be considered healing.  
"I caught the mouse yes, but I ate it. I had a few water voles stashed but when I went to get them, they were gone-"  
"They were dead they couldn't just run off!"  
"Maybe they played possum..." you mutter before getting up. "I'll take patrol..." You mutter and slunk off for the camp entrance.  
Patrolling around the outskirts of camp, nothing moved or gave signs of putting the camp in danger, so you made your rounds and went back to the Warriors den. Rousing a clanmate from his sleep, he got up knowing it was his turn for patrol, and you laid in your nest. Happy for the relief of getting off your paws.  
However as you were drifting into sleep, a sneeze cut through the air, and woke Oakfur. He narrowed his eyes at you slowly before snorting. "Get that cured before you fall ill too."  
"Yeah, I'll go in the morning." You say, and finally fall asleep.  
Though, but the time you were up in the morning, it was because you were choking back coughs. Each one was harsh, and you didn't want to alarm anyone. Tripping over you clan mates, a loud outburst of coughing rises through your throat as you burst out into the camp. Almost at once, Littlecloud rushed from his den and started pushing your to the side of the camp which had practically been quarantined.  
"I... I can't do anything besides keep you from the others..." Littlecloud's ears flatten to his head. You know it, he's officially out of herbs.  
"It's fine, I wouldn't have accepted them." You say, "They would have better use going to others who are worse."  
Within a few sunrises, you had  gone from a cough to fevers and harsh breathing. Not to mention, two of your clanmates had died. Still, a few had made it through the sickness, which gave many hope, yourself included.  
That night, you watched SilverPelt. The stars seemed to be getting brighter, and you say as much softly, before closing your eyes. Though, when you opened them, you were surrounded by many cats, clanmate, with Stars in their paws.  
"Alright, I'm ready." Standing now was much easier, you realized breathing didn't cause pain in your chest, and your cough was gone. It didn't matter if you were ready or not, you were already on your way to StarCan.


End file.
